Barbets vs Parakeets - the battle of the nest!
Once upon a time, there was a Coppersmith Barbet who lived in the crowded city of Mumbai. He was an expert in building homes in barks of trees. He had a strong beak that worked like a chisel, and he could dig into the hardest barks without trouble. And he never got a headache!
Soon, he found a partner and they started looking far and wide through the city to find a spot to build a house. Finally they found a perfect location! There was a stump of a coconut tree that was unoccupied and gave them a great view of the surroundings.
They set about building their home, taking turns digging into the bark with their sharp beaks, while the other kept watch.
They built a perfect little home - a small door just big enough for them, that led into a cosy little nest in the bark of the coconut tree. They were very pleased with themselves, and she went looking for food while he kept watch over their new home.
But all was not well. There was a pair of Parakeets who were watching the progress from a nearby tree. They had waited till the Barbets finished their home. Mr. Parakeet stealthily approached Mr. Barbet from behind and skawked so loudly, that Mr. Barbet almost fell off!
Poor Mr. Barbet flew away at the sight of the bigger bird. He did not want to have a fight. He knew he was smarter than the big Parakeet. He decided to wait and watch.
Soon Mrs. Parakeet joined her partner and went about trying to see if they could make this new home theirs. While he kept watch with a proud stance on the top, she tried to expand the door so she could fit in.
Meanwhile, Mr. Barbet sat on a wire hanging nearby, and patiently kept singing his meditative, rhyhtmic song. He watched the Parakeets desparately trying to steal his home. He had built his house just the right size, so that the Parakeets or other big birds could not steal his house.
Soon, the Parakeets realized that this was too small a house and it was too much effort to make it big enough for them to fit in. So they flew away.
That was exactly what Mr. Barbet was waiting for! He quickly flew back to their home and was soon joined by his partner.
They inspected their home to assess the damage, and went about preparing for settling in...
But was that the end of their woes? What new adventures will the Barbets have next?
